Network Security Fundamentals
From Threats to Protections, Encryption, and Law
August 15, 2025
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Outline
1 Security Overview
2 Forms of Attack
3 Protection and Cures
4 Encryption
5 Legal Approaches
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Security Overview
Why Security Matters
▶ Networked computers face risks of unauthorized access and vandalism.
▶ Attacks may deploy malware locally or act remotely over the network.
▶ Goals vary: disruption (e.g., DoS) or data theft and misuse.
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Forms of Attack
Malware: Key Categories
▶ Viruses: insert into host programs; execute with host; may replicate or corrupt OS/data.
▶ Worms: self-propagate over networks; replication can overwhelm hosts and networks.
▶ Trojan Horses: appear beneficial; execute hidden harmful actions, sometimes on a
trigger.
▶ Spyware (”sniffing software”): silently collects and exfiltrates user/system activity.
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Forms of Attack
Social Engineering Vector: Phishing
▶ Phishing: asking victims directly for sensitive data under false pretenses.
▶ Often via email impersonating banks, agencies, or law enforcement.
▶ Harvests passwords, credit card numbers, and other credentials.
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Forms of Attack
Remote Attacks: Denial of Service (DoS)
▶ DoS: flood a target with messages to disrupt legitimate service.
▶ Botnets: attacker-controlled fleets of compromised machines launch the flood on signal.
▶ Availability of unprotected PCs fuels DoS capacity.
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Forms of Attack
Spam and Related Risks
▶ Spam: unsolicited bulk email; overloads the user rather than systems.
▶ Common vehicle for phishing, Trojans, and virus distribution.
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Protection and Cures
Firewalls
▶ Filter traffic at network gateways or on individual hosts.
▶ Block known-bad sources; restrict unneeded services/ports.
▶ Help terminate DoS by blocking attacking origins.
▶ Prevent spoofing: block inbound messages falsely claiming internal origins.
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Protection and Cures
Spam Filters
▶ Specialized firewalls for email; distinguish spam vs. legitimate messages.
▶ Often use learning/training to improve accuracy (e.g., probabilistic/AI methods).
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Protection and Cures
Proxy Servers
▶ Intermediary between client and server (FTP, HTTP, Telnet, etc.).
▶ Hides internal clients from external servers; reduces leakage of intranet structure.
▶ Can inspect/filter server responses (e.g., scan incoming files for known viruses).
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Protection and Cures
Auditing and Monitoring
▶ Track traffic volumes and patterns; monitor firewall activity.
▶ Detect irregularities early; primary tool for admins to contain issues.
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Protection and Cures
Antivirus and Safe Practices
▶ Use antivirus/anti-spyware tools; keep signatures and engines up to date.
▶ Exercise caution: avoid unknown attachments, unverified downloads, and pop-ups.
▶ Disconnect from the Internet when not necessary to reduce exposure.
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Encryption
Why Encrypt?
▶ Passwords control access, but in-transit data may traverse untrusted intermediaries.
▶ Encryption preserves confidentiality even if messages are intercepted.
▶ Many applications provide secure versions (e.g., HTTPS).
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Encryption
HTTPS and SSL
▶ HTTPS: secure HTTP used by financial and other sensitive services.
▶ Built on Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocols to protect client-server links.
▶ Browsers indicate secure sessions (e.g., padlock icon).
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Encryption
Public-Key Encryption (PKE)
▶ Two keys: public key (encrypt) and private key (decrypt).
▶ Anyone can encrypt to the holder; only the private-key holder can decrypt.
▶ Intermediaries knowing the public key still cannot decrypt.
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Encryption
Key Authenticity and Certificates
▶ Risk: spoofed public keys (impersonation of a bank, etc.).
▶ Certificate Authorities (CAs) provide certificates: bind identities to public keys.
▶ Organizations may operate internal CAs for tighter control.
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Encryption
Digital Signatures
▶ Some PKE schemes allow encrypting with the private key to produce a signature.
▶ Verification with the public key assures authenticity of the signer.
▶ A signature can be the encrypted form of the message (or a digest).
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Legal Approaches
Limits of Legal Remedies
▶ Illegality provides recourse, not prevention.
▶ Internet is international: jurisdictional complexity hinders enforcement.
▶ International bodies (e.g., courts) may be needed for cross-border cases.
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Legal Approaches
Key U.S. Laws and Issues
▶ Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA): prosecutes worms/viruses, unauthorized
access, theft of value.
▶ Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA): protects privacy; limits interception
and provider disclosure.
▶ Employer monitoring often hinges on authorization when using employer equipment.
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Legal Approaches
Government Monitoring and Controversies
▶ Agency monitoring under restrictions; debates over scope and oversight.
▶ Examples: FBI Carnivore (2000); USA PATRIOT Act (2001); later revelations of bulk
data collection (2013).
▶ CALEA: mandates telecom capabilities for lawful intercept—complex and costly to
implement.
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Legal Approaches
Encryption vs. Monitoring
▶ Strong encryption limits the value of intercepted data to law enforcement.
▶ Proposals for key registration/escrow raise corporate privacy and security concerns.
▶ Central question: How secure can key registration be?
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Legal Approaches
Cybersquatting and Domain Names
▶ Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (1999): protects against confusingly
similar domain names.
▶ Does not ban domain speculation, but restricts trademark-impersonating names.
▶ Example: generic names (e.g., GreatUsedCars.com) vs. protected business names.
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Summary
Takeaways
▶ Threats span malware, social engineering, and network-level attacks.
▶ Defense-in-depth: firewalls, proxies, spam filters, auditing, antivirus, and safe user
behavior.
▶ Encryption (HTTPS, PKE, certificates, signatures) safeguards confidentiality and
authenticity.
▶ Legal frameworks aid deterrence and recourse, but technical controls remain essential.
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